Welcome to Arabian Fly Sport Fishing, we specialise in professionally guided, tailor made fishing trips throughout Oman. From walking the beaches and drifting the sand flats to chasing large pelagic species offshore, Oman has a multitude of species to target.

Garreth Coombes – “Two very broken feet but no broken spirit!”

Garreth Coombes was on holiday in Dubai and wanted to get away for a couple days fishing so he hopped on a short flight and joined us on the water to chase after the elusive Omani permit. Being super fit and an avid fly angler we knew he was up for some serious fishing.

The first morning excitement levels were high. The fishing proved to be quite challenging though, green water mixed with a nasty shore break and only seeing a few fish made any fly presentations difficult.

A quick bite to eat and some strategic chat to get the motivation up and they were off again. We were watching Brandon and Garreth walking towards us, both intently staring out at the water. From far away you could tell they had seen something as both of them dropped down low, into what I now call the ‘permit position’, and stood motionless staring into the waves. Garreth started to cast as we watched with our fingers crossed and breath held. The fish seemed to bypass his fly, picking up his line he ran along the beach just in front and cast again. This seemed to continue for a few minutes or what must have seemed like hours to Garreth as he continued to put in cast after cast but the fish was not really playing ball. I could see the concentration on his face and feel the tension in the air. They were now close enough that I could see the permit they were after, with its beautiful golden fins just breaking the surface of the water as it surfed in to feed. One final cast and I saw Garreth slowly stripping, then all of a sudden his line went tight and he was on. The permit exploded and tore out to deeper water.

Garreth managed to get the line on the reel and gain control. After a few nervous minutes Brandon raced forward into the water and gently grabbed its tail…. with great shouts of joy from Garreth who had finally landed his first Indo-Pacific permit. She was an absolute monster of a fish with a large silver body and worn stubby fins. The elation and joy in Garreth’s face said it all, he was over the moon as he knelt in the water cradling the fish in his arms. A few pictures and the obligatory permit kiss and she was back on her way into the ocean.

Welcome to the club…

Permit fever had set in for sure and there was no stopping them now so they headed off determined again along the beach. It didn’t take them long and within the hour he had landed his second Permit. This fish was heading back out into the waves and Garreth put the fly about a foot away from it and it slammed on the breaks shot around and engulfed the fly, she was smaller than the first but still an absolute beauty with a perfect silver body and very long golden fins, a real cracker!

The last day had come round all too quickly but the boys were determined to go out with a bang so they set off down the beach, spirits high. Again it was a difficult morning. A quick bite to eat and some strategic chat and they were off again, wow did they look determined and It didn’t take them long before they had found what they were looking for. This guy was a lovely large bruiser of a fish with stubby fins and a wide back that kept breaching the surface of the water as he swam into the shallows to feed. Cast after cast he dodged the fly, he was a wise old boy and he wasn’t falling for any nonsense. But Garreth was not giving up after what seemed like 1000 casts and a few hundred meters pursuing the fish he landed the fly just in front of its nose.Tail up, head down and boom he was on. Fortunately the permit was in such shallow water when it took the fly and slightly in shock so it didn’t manage to use the full power of its large V tail to escape. After a lot of angry thrashing around with its back out of the water Garreth managed to expertly guide him in on a small wave and slide him into Brandon’s waiting hands. A few pics and he was released albeit rather grumpily back into the ocean…. an epic day! Another very decent sized permit and what a way to end the holiday!

A fantastic few days and one very happy client!
Or as Garreth put it…” Two very broken feet (from all the walking) but no broken spirit!